Fill out a voter registration form to vote in the March 3, 2020 Primary Election by Tuesday, February 18, 2020.

NEW: Even if you missed the deadline, you can still register and vote up to and through Election Day. Check here to see how!

1. Sign Up!

You are eligible to vote if you are a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older, no longer in prison or on parole for a felony conviction, and have not been found by a court to be mentally incompetent

You must register to get on the official list of voters in your county.
The deadline to register is Tuesday, February 18, 2020.

Fill out the form online at www.registertovote.ca.gov.
You can also pick up a voter registration form at your library or post office or call 1-800-345-8683 to have a registration form mailed. , or - It is important to fill out the form completely. You will be asked to include your driver’s license number or other identification.

Once you are on the list, you only need to re-register if you change your address, change your name, want to change your political party, or are no longer on parole for a felony conviction.

3. Vote!

You choose whether to vote at your polling place or use a “vote-by-mail” ballot.

For voting in person, the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You may also be able to vote before Election Day at your county elections office or other special location. If you registered and your name is not on the list of voters at your assigned polling place, you can vote using a “provisional ballot.” Your vote will be counted if elections officials determine that you are eligible to vote.

To vote by mail, use the form in your county Voter Information Guide to request a “vote by mail” ballot to be sent to you. The deadline to ask for one is no later than Tuesday, February 25, 2020. When your “vote by mail” ballot comes, fill it out and mail it back so that it is postmarked no later than the day of the election. You may also drop it off at any polling place in your county on Election Day. If your county provides them, you can also use a secure Ballot Dropbox. You can sign up to get a “vote by mail” ballot for every election.

There are big changes as to how you cast your ballot if you live in one of these 15 counties: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Tuolumne. You will have more days and more ways to vote! Check Ways to Vote for more information.

Visit the Easy Voter Guide for more voting information and to download a copy in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Korean.

If you have a California driver license or identification card number, you can authorize use of that signature for the registration form. Fill out the online application and simply hit “submit” at the end.

If there is no signature on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles, you will need to:

Enter your date of birth and last four digits of your social security number.

Click “print.”

Sign the paper application.

Mail it to the address provided.

No printer? Go ahead and click “I don’t have the ability to print” and your county elections official will mail you a form to sign and return.

By calling 800.345.VOTE (800.345.8683) and asking to have a voter registration form sent to your home.

By picking up an official registration postcard form from your county elections office, any DMV office, or a public library, post office, public assistance office, or any government office that serves the disabled.

Even if you missed the voter registration deadline, it isn't too late to vote. To register up to and on Election Day, go to your polling location, vote center, or elections office, and complete three simple steps:

Register to vote.

Vote.

Seal your ballot in the provided envelope, and sign it.

You can do this at any polling location in your county, but if you go to the place that you're assigned, then they will be sure to have the ballot with all of your assigned contests.

This is called Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) or Same-Day Registration. Your vote will be counted after elections officials verify your voter registration and confirm that you have not already voted in this election.

Check here to find locations where you can register and vote at the same time--all the way up through Election Day!

After the election, check the Secretary of State's website or call 800-345-VOTE (8683) to learn how to see whether your ballot was counted. If it wasn't counted, you'll also be able to see the reason why.

If sharing your address could put you in a life-threatening situation then you may qualify for the Safe At Home confidential address program.

Victims of domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault are able to use a free P.O. box instead of their home address to help them maintain their privacy when receiving first-class mail and registering to vote.

Safe at Home registrants can receive their voter information and sample ballots at this P.O. box.

While in the program, participants are required to vote by mail.

Please do not apply to register to vote using the Secretary of State’s online registration site. Contact the Safe At Home program toll-free at (877) 322-5227 or by using the Safe At Home email.

OR If you do not want to register as a member of a political party you can mark the box next to “No, I do not want to disclose a political party preference” on the voter registration form.

Your choice to register with no party preference may affect your ability to vote in a March Primary Election for U.S. President and County Central Committees, but you will still be able to vote for other offices and measures on the ballot.

You may register with no party preference and still vote for any candidate on the ballot in the November General Election.

Be sure to fill out and submit the online voter registration or FPCA as early as 60 to 90 days before an election. This will allow time for voter information and ballots to be sent to you and for you to return your ballot. The absolute deadline for your registration form to be submitted online, postmarked, or delivered in person to the county elections office is 15 days before an election.

When you register to vote you will have the option to choose to have your ballot sent to you by mail, fax, or email.

As a Californian living away from home while attending a college, trade school or technical school, you may choose to register to vote using either the home away from home address you use while at school, or your traditional home address.

Choosing which address to use when you register to vote is a personal decision. Whatever you decide, you may not register to vote in two places during the same election cycle.

If you live in one of these Voter’s Choice Act counties, there are big changes as to how you vote. Amador, Calaveras, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, or Tuolumne.

You will automatically receive your ballot in the mail a few weeks before the election.

Most neighborhood polling places will no longer be used for voting.

Instead, you will have three choices for how to vote:

Mail back your ballot,

Drop it off at any secure Ballot Dropbox, or

Vote in person at a Vote Center.

Voters in Los Angeles County will not receive your ballot in the mail unless you request one from your County Elections Office.

In order to receive a ballot in the mail, you must register by the deadline, which is 15 days before an election. The registration deadline for the Tuesday, March 3, primary election is Tuesday, February 18.

Note: If you live in one of the new Voter’s Choice Act counties and you are already registered to vote, you will automatically receive your ballot in the mail - unless you are in Los Angeles where you still need to sign up to get a vote by mail ballot. Check Voter’s Choice Elections for more info.

You may be able to vote in person either at your County Elections Office or at another early voting location before Election Day. Some early voting locations are also open through Election Day. Check with your county for details.

Click here for a complete list of early voting and ballot drop-off locations in your county.

If you live in one of these Voter’s Choice Act counties, there are big changes as to how you vote. Amador, Calaveras, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, or Tuolumne.

If you are registered to vote in any of these counties except Los Angeles County, you will automatically receive a ballot in the mail a few weeks before the election. Voters in Los Angeles County will not receive your ballot in the mail unless you request one from your County Elections Office. Most neighborhood polling places will no longer be used for voting. Instead, you will have three choices for how to vote.

1. Vote By Mail

You can fill out and mail in your ballot as soon as you receive it. No postage is required to vote by mail.

2. Ballot Drop Box

You can drop off your ballot at any secure Ballot Drop Box as soon as you receive it. No postage is required at Ballot Drop Boxes.

3. Vote Center

You can vote in person by visiting any Vote Center in your county. At every Vote Center, you can:

Vote in person.

Drop off your completed ballot.

Vote with an accessible voting machine.

Get help and voting materials in multiple languages.

Register and vote even after the registration deadline has passed, including on Election Day, Tuesday, March 3.

When Vote Centers Are Open

All Vote Centers will be open for at least 4 days before Election Day. For the March 3 Primary, this means all Vote Centers will be open from Saturday, February 29, through Tuesday, March 3.

Some Vote Centers will be open for 11 days before Election Day. For the March 3 Primary, some Vote Centers will open starting Saturday, February 22.

Language Assistance

Vote Centers will accommodate voters with limited English proficiency. Vote Centers will also have well-trained staff at every location prepared to support voters with translated voting materials in languages required by law. To the greatest extent possible, counties will aim to have multilingual staff and volunteers available to help voters at Vote Centers.

Accessible Voting Places

All Vote Centers will be accessible to people with disabilities. Counties participating in this program are also required to create a Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) if they do not have one already. A VAAC is made up of voters with disabilities and helps during the planning process to ensure voting is accessible. Please contact your county elections office to learn more about the specific tools and resources available to people with disabilities.

Voters with disabilities may request a remote accessible vote-by-mail ballot. You can use this ballot at home with your own computer and assistive technologies, then print the ballot and mail or drop it off.

Why the Change?

The Voter’s Choice Act is designed to make voting more convenient and accessible.

You choose how you vote: Whether using the mail, a Ballot Drop Box, or a Vote Center, you choose the method that works best for you. Voters with disabilities may use their own accessible technology to mark their ballot at home.

You choose when you vote: Instead of just one day to vote, you can vote in person for up to 11 days before the election—even on the weekends.

You choose where you vote: You can vote at home or at any Vote Center location in your county.

You get the support you need: Vote Center staff will be there to help you have a great voting experience, including providing assistance in multiple languages and helping voters with disabilities.

To register to vote, you will need to provide your California driver’s license or ID card number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Most of the time, on Election Day you are not required to show identification at the polling place unless:

You are voting for the first time in a Federal election and you registered by mail.

You did not provide either your driver's license number, state ID number, or the last four digits of your social security number on the registration card when registering by mail.

Acceptable forms of ID include a California driver’s license, California identification card, passport, or a student ID card showing your name and photograph. Visit the California Secretary of State for more information on acceptable identification.

Are all provisional ballots counted?If voters are eligible to vote and vote provisionally, their ballots will be counted.

What if I go to the wrong polling place and have to vote a provisional ballot, will my ballot still be counted?Firstly, you must always vote in the county where you are registered to vote.If you're in the right county but the wrong polling place, then all of the candidates and measures that are on the ballot you were supposed to vote on, if you had gone to the correct location, will be counted.

But any contests and measures that are not also on the ballot at your correct polling place will not be counted.

How are provisional ballots handled?

Fill out your name and current address on the provisional envelope and sign it.

After the polls close, the ballot is returned to the election office, where the information on the envelope is verified against the voter registration records.

If the information that the voter has written on the envelope matches, then the ballot is removed from the envelope and counted.

Can I check the status of my provisional ballot?You may contact your county elections office to learn whether your provisional ballot was counted and if it was not counted, the reason why.

I damaged, lost, or marked my ballot incorrectly. What do I do to fix this?

You can get a new ballot as long as you have not already cast (voted) your ballot.

If you vote at a polling place ask a poll worker for a new ballot.

If you have your vote-by-mail ballot, you can turn it in and request a new ballot either at your county elections office or polling place.

If you do not have your original vote-by-mail ballot you can vote using a provisional ballot.

The process to correct a voting mistake is a little different if you live in a Voter’s Choice county (Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Tuolumne). As long as you haven’t already voted, you can get a regular ballot at a Vote Center without turning in your vote-by-mail ballot.

If you moved on or before the registration deadline, which is 15 days prior to the election, then you should re-register at your new address. Check How do I register to vote?

NEW Now all Californians can Same-Day Register (or re-register) and vote with a provisional ballot at every voting location in your county. Read more about what you can do if you missed the deadline to register to vote.

I moved within the same county:

If you moved within 14 days before the election you can vote at the polling place for your old address, but only for that election.

You may vote a provisional ballot at your new polling place or at the county elections office.You will need to show identification that indicates your new residence and fill out a written confirmation that you’re eligible to vote and registered in the county where you’re voting.

If you moved to an address that is assigned to the same polling location as your old address, then no matter when you moved you may vote at that location. However, you must confirm your change of address at the polling place.

I moved to a new county:

If you moved within 14 days before the election you can vote at the polling place for your old address, but only for that election.

If you moved on or before the registration deadline, which is 15 days prior to the election, then you must re-register at your new address in order to vote at the upcoming election. Check How do I register to vote?

Receive and complete your ballot:When you registered to vote using California’s online voter registration or a Federal Post Card Application(FPCA) you had the option to receive your ballot by mail, fax or email. In some counties you may be allowed to download a ballot. Check the county list to see if downloading is possible.

You should receive your ballot between 45 and 30 days before Election Day. If you do not receive one, contact your county.

If you do not receive a ballot 30 days before Election Day you may be able to request Federal Write-In Ballot that allows you to vote in federal, but not California, elections. Check with your county elections office about this.

Follow the directions received with your ballot to fill it out.
Review the ballot to make sure you voted for every contest you intended.

Return your ballot:

By mail:

Fill out and sign as directed on the back of the return envelope.

Mail it using US Post Office if you are in the U.S.

If outside the U.S. use APO/FPO or diplomatic pouch mail. OR use foreign postal system and make sure you use the correct postage.

Consult your post office to find out when the ballot should be mailed to make sure it is postmarked no later than Election Day and arrives in your county no later than three days after Election Day. In other words, mail your ballot back before Election Day.

By fax if you are living outside the territorial US:

Fax the ballot plus the completed return envelope.

Fax an Oath of Voter form that your county provides. The oath waives your right to confidential voting because you are faxing your ballot.

Your faxed ballot and materials must be received by county elections office by 8 p.m. Pacific time on Election Day.

While you may request your ballot by email or download it, you may not return your completed ballot by email.

Disability Rights California (DRC) will operate a toll-free hotline on Election Day for voters with disabilities. The service is designed to help those who have difficulty accessing polling places, casting ballots or simply have questions about voting. The toll-free number for voice calls is 888-569-7955. The statewide number for video calls is 800-719-5798.

The state Official Voter Information Guide that is mailed to each registered voter is available in a downloadable MP3 audio version, audio cassettes, in American Sign Language, and in large print. You may call (800) 345-8683 to request these versions.

The California Secretary of State also maintains a Voter Hotline for voters who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired at: (800) 833-8683 - TTY/TDD

Accessible voting places

Before each election, registered voters are notified as to whether or not their polling places are accessible. This notification appears on the Voter Information Guide mailed by your county.

Each polling place must have one voting machine that allows voters, including those who are blind or visually impaired, to cast a ballot without assistance.

The voting machine permits voters to privately and independently verify vote choices and, if there is an error, allows them to correct those choices before submitting their final ballot.

Voting Assistance

You may choose up to two people to help in the polling place. However, the person who provides assistance may not be:

Your employer or someone who works for your employer; or

Your labor union leader or someone who works for your labor union.

Curbside voting

Poll workers must provide curbside voting for voters with disabilities who need this assistance. Parking for curbside voting will be provided as close as possible to the voting area.

A poll worker will bring the list to sign, the ballot, and other required materials to the voter’s car. The poll worker will take everything back into the polling place and put the ballot in the ballot box or scanner.

Remote accessible vote-by-mail (RAVBM) systems provide an accessible option for voters with disabilities to receive their ballots at home and mark them independently and privately before sending them back to elections officials. Contact your County Elections Office for more information.

Disability Rights California has a great video with information on remote accessible vote-by-mail, a new way for people with disabilities to vote from home.

Accessible Voting Places

Check the back cover of your Sample Ballot for the wheelchair symbol that shows whether or not your polling place is accessible. "YES" means the voter’s polling place is accessible. "NO" means the voter’s polling place is not accessible.

For more information, call 707-234-6819 and enter 4371 when prompted.

Accessible Voting Information

For the visually impaired, audio tapes of state and local ballot measures are available from the County Registrar of Voters.

The Secretary of State's office provides voting-related materials and assistance in nine languages other than English.

For answers to your questions about voting and elections, or to request mail delivery of a voter registration form, vote-by-mail application, or the Official Voter Information Guide in any of these languages, please call one of the toll-free Voter Hotlines shown below.

To find out what languages are available in your county, contact your county elections office. The information is often listed on the county's web site and may also appear on the county voter guide you receive in the mail.

If it is six or fewer days before Election Day, you may be able to get an emergency vote-by-mail ballot.

Situations where emergency ballots are available:You can make a written request for this ballot if you:

Are hospitalized, in a nursing home, sanatorium, or in your residence and you are too sick to get to the polling place.

Have a physical handicap that causes you to be unable to get to your polling place.

Have a physical handicap that makes you unable to vote at your polling place due to architectural barriers denying you physical access to the polling place, voting booth, or voting apparatus or machinery.

Are unable to go to your polling place because of conditions resulting in your absence from the precinct on Election Day.

How do I make the emergency request?Make a written request. Your county elections office might have a pre-printed form for you to use.

If you don’t have a form, then make sure that the request authorizes a particular person to bring you the ballot and is signed under the penalty of perjury. You can use this Los Angeles County Emergency Vote-by-Mail Application sample request as a guide to help you write a request to your county.

Ranked choice voting allows voters to election a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice candidate for a single office. This makes it possible to elect local officials by majority vote without the need for a second run-off election.

How ranked-choice voting works:

To start, every first-choice selection is counted. Any candidate who receives a majority (more than 50%) of the first-choice selections is declared the winner.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice selections, the candidate who received the fewest number of first-choice selections is eliminated.

Voters who selected the eliminated candidate as their first choice will have their vote transferred to their second choice.

The votes are then recounted. If any remaining candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, they are declared the winner.

If no remaining candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, the process of eliminating candidates and transferring votes to the next ranked candidate is repeated until one candidate has a winning majority.

Certain candidates in California are elected in a “Top-Two Primary.” These include candidates for:

U.S. Senate

U.S. Representative

State Senate

State Assembly

Governor and Lt. Governor

Treasurer

Secretary of State

Attorney General

Controller

Insurance Commissioner

Board of Equalization

In a Top-Two Primary, you can cast your vote for any candidate.

All candidates from all parties will be on the ballot for these contests.

You don’t have to be registered with a party to vote on these contests.

You can vote for a candidate from any party.

You can “write in” a candidate in the Primary Election.

The two candidates with the most votes will appear on the General Election ballot even if they have the same party preference.

Nonpartisan offices: Judges, County Supervisor, other County and Municipal offices, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction are always open to all eligible voters.

What does party preference mean?Voters may either register with a political party preference or choose "none."
A candidate's party preference does not necessarily mean that they have that political party's support. The list of candidates who receive a party's official endorsement (support) is in the county Voter Information Guide.

If you are registered with one of these parties, your ballot will include the candidates running for that party’s nomination.

If you are registered with one political party, you may not vote a ballot for another political party.

You can only vote for the County Central Committees/County Councils if you are registered with that party.

If you are not registered with one of the six political parties, or if you registered Decline to State, Independent, or Nonpartisan, then you are a No Party Preference (NPP) Voter. Click here for more detailed information about how to vote if you are registered as No Party Preference.

Please note - the American Independent Party is a political party in California with its own platform. If you are registered with the American Independent Party then you are not registered as a No Party Preference voter.

Three parties allow NPP voters to vote in their presidential primary:

American Independent Party

Democratic Party

Libertarian Party

If you want to vote in one of these party primaries, you must ask for that ballot. Otherwise you will receive a nonpartisan ballot that will not include the office of president.

Three parties allow only voters registered with their party to vote in their presidential primary:

Green Party

Peace and Freedom Party

Republican Party

If you want to change your party registration before the primary, then you shouldre-register and select that party. The last day to re-register to vote is Tuesday, February 18, 2020. NEW Even if you miss that deadline, with Same-Day registration and voting, you may now change your party registration all the way through Election Day and vote with a provisional ballot.

You can always re-register again after the primary as either a “No Party Preference” voter or with any political party.

Note: Return the new vote-by-mail ballot in the envelope that came with the new ballot. Do not use the old ballot or the old envelope. The old ballot is void and will not be counted. A new ballot in an old envelope will also not be counted.

Note: If you have a vote-by-mail ballot take it and its return envelope with you to give it to the elections officials. If you do not bring the old ballot and envelope, you will receive a provisional ballot that will be counted after it is confirmed that your old ballot was not cast.

At the Polls on Election Day, March 3, 2020

Go to your polling place or your county elections office.

Request the ballot of the party you wish to vote in.

Note: If you have a vote-by-mail ballot take it and its return envelope with you to give it to the elections officials. If you do not bring the old ballot and envelope, you will receive a provisional ballot that will be counted after it is confirmed that your old ballot was not cast.

If you re-registered after you received a vote-by-mail ballot:

If you re-registered after receiving a vote-by-mail ballot, and you asked for vote-by-mail status during the re-registration, then a new vote-by-mail ballot will be mailed to you.

Return the new vote-by-mail ballot in the envelope that came with the new ballot. Do not use the old ballot or the old envelope. The old ballot is void and will not be counted. A new ballot in an old envelope will also not be counted.

Mail your ballot. Be sure it is postmarked on or before March 3, 2020.-OR-

Drop off your vote-by-mail ballot in person on Election Day at any polling place in your county or your county elections office.

An initiative is a law proposed by a group of citizens by means of a petition containing the signatures of the required number of voters. Initiatives can propose a new law (statutory initiative) or amend the state constitution.

1. The right to vote if you are a registered voter. You are eligible to vote if you are:

a U.S. citizen living in California

at least 18 years old

registered where you currently live

not in prison or on parole for a felony

2. The right to vote if you are a registered voter even if your name is not on the list. You will vote using a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted if elections officials determine that you are eligible to vote.

3. The right to vote if you are still in line when the polls close.

4. The right to cast a secret ballot without anyone bothering you or telling you how to vote.

5. The right to get a new ballot if you have made a mistake, if you have not already cast your ballot. You can:

Ask an elections official at a polling place for a new ballot; or

Exchange your vote-by-mail ballot for a new one at an elections office, or at your polling place; or

Vote using a provisional ballot, if you do not have your orginal vote-by-mail ballot.

6. The right to get help casting your ballot from anyone you choose, except from your employer or union representative.

7. The right to drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in the county where you are registered to vote.

8. The right to get election materials in a language other than English if enough people in your voting precinct speak that language.

9. The right to ask questions to elections officials about election procedures and watch the election process. If the person you ask cannot answer your questions, they must send youto the right person for an answer. If you are disruptive, they can stop answering you.

10. The right to report any illigal or fraudulent election activity to an elections official or the Secretary of State's office.

The California Secretary of StateIf you believe you have been denied any of your voting rights, or you are aware of any election fraud or misconduct, you can call the Secretary of State's confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683).

Election ProtectionIf you encounter any issues in casting your ballot, or feel like your rights were violated, visit the Election Protection website or call one of the hotlines below to get help resolving your dispute and reporting your claim.

What are my rights to access and vote at polling places?

State and federal laws require polling places to be physically accessible to voters with disabilities.

Access to the polling place

County elections officials inspect each site and often make temporary modifications to homes, libraries, churches, businesses, schools, or other facilities for Election Day.

Poll workers are trained on election laws and the rights of voters with disabilities, including the need to make reasonable modifications of policies and procedures to ensure equal access.

Before each election, every registered voter is notified whether their polling place is accessible. This notification appears on the Voter Information Guide mailed to each voter by their county.

Voting

The California Secretary of State has approved several voting systems for use that allow voters with disabilities to cast their votes privately and independently.

Each polling place must have one voting machine that allows voters, including those who are blind or visually impaired, to cast a ballot without assistance. The voting machine permits voters to verify their choices and, if there is an error, allows them to correct those choices before submitting their final ballot.

Poll workers must provide curbside voting for voters with disabilities who need this assistance.

Remote accessible vote-by-mail (RAVBM) systems provide an accessible option for voters with disabilities to receive their ballots at home and mark them independently and privately before sending them back to elections officials. Contact your County Elections Office for more information.

What rights do I have for language assistance?

Local elections officials are required to provide services and official election materials to bilingual voters in precincts where there are a certain number of people who speak the language.

In some localities, voter information pamphlets and sample ballots are translated into Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese, among other languages.

In some polling places, bilingual poll workers are available to assist voters in their own language.

Know your rights in 13 languages.Get information about your rights in eleven languages from Asian Americans Advancing Justice, California. The materials will help first-time voters, immigrant voters, and limited-English proficient voters exercise their right to vote on Election Day. They have instructions on how to register to vote, how to vote, how to access language assistance in the voting process, and how to handle problems encountered during Election Day, among other subjects.

What are my voting rights if I have a misdemeanor?A misdemeanor conviction does not affect your right to vote at all. You can vote in all elections.

What are my voting rights if I have a felony?If you have a felony conviction, you can vote IF you:

Are on probation, even if you are in county jail as a condition of your probation, or

Have completed your probation, or

Are awaiting a judge’s decision on a probation violation, or

Are on mandatory supervision, or

Are on post-release community supervision, or

Have completed your parole.

The only time you are not allowed to vote is IF you:

Have a felony conviction and you are still in state prison, or

Are serving an 1170(h) felony sentence in county jail, or

Are awaiting transfer to a state prison, or

Are on parole.

Once you have completed your sentence and parole, you can register to vote.
If you are unsure what type of sentence you are serving check with your parole or probation officer.

Can I vote when I am on parole?No. You can only vote once you have completed your parole.

Can I vote on mandatory supervision?Yes! You can vote at all times when you are on mandatory supervision.

Can I vote while I am on post-release community supervision?Yes! You can vote at all times when you are on post-release community supervision.

Can I vote when I am on probation?Yes! You can vote at all times when you are on probation, whether your conviction is a felony or a misdemeanor

Can I vote while I am in county jail?Maybe. You can vote IF you are in county jail:

Awaiting trial for any crime, or

For a misdemeanor conviction, or

On a probation violation, or

On felony probation.

The only time you lose the right to vote while in county jail is when you are:

In state prison for a felony conviction, or

In jail awaiting transfer to a state prison for a felony conviction, or

Serving an 1170(h) felony sentence in the county jail, or

In jail for a parole violation.

How do I get back my right to vote?In California, you do not need to do anything to “restore” your right to vote. It is automatically restored once you have completed your sentence and are no longer on parole. However, you must register or re-register to vote in an upcoming election.

California law allows certain voter information to be released to a member of the California Legislature or U.S. Congress, or to any candidate, any committee for or against a proposed ballot measure, any person for election, scholarly, journalistic, or political purpose, or for governmental purposes.

Commercial use of voter registration information is prohibited by law and is a misdemeanor.

A political party is a group of people who try to determine public policy and influence government by getting its candidates elected to office.

What is a “qualified political party?”

A qualified political party is entitled to participate in any primary election or presidential general election.

A political group may qualify as a party in one of two ways: voter registration or petition.

With the voter registration method, the Secretary of State must be able to verify that the political party obtained voter registrations equal in number to .33 percent of the total registration, by the qualification deadline.

With the petition method, the petition submitted to the secretary of state must have signatures of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the votes cast at the last gubernatorial election.

Bonds are a form of long-term borrowing that the state uses to raise money for large projects. The state sells bonds to investors and agrees to repay the investors, with interest, over a certain number of years, somewhat like a mortgage.

Why are bonds used?

Projects such as roads, school building, prisons, parks, office buildings, and housing for veterans involve large dollar costs, and are used over many years. The use of bonds helps to fund the initial large dollar costs, which are hard to fund out of day-to-day operating revenues. Also the repayment of these bonds over time means that future taxpayers who benefit from the facilities will help to pay for them.

What types of bonds does the state sell?

General Obligation Bonds These are the most common type of bonds, and are largely repaid from the state's unrestricted general tax revenues. These bonds have to be approved by the voters, and their repayment is guaranteed by the state.

Revenue Bonds These are repaid from a designated source, such as bridge tolls. Revenue bonds do not require voter approval and repayment is not guaranteed by the state.

Lease-Revenue Bonds There are repaid from lease payments by state agencies using the leased facilities. Lease-Revenue bonds do not require voter approval and repayment is not guaranteed by the state.

What are the direct costs of bond financing?

The state must repay the principal of the bonds over time to the investors until the bonds are fully paid off, plus annual interest costs. The interest cost of repaying bonds depends on the current interest rate and the time period over which the bonds are to be repaid.

The Future of California Elections (FoCE) is a collaboration between election officials, civil rights organizations and election reform advocates to examine and address the unique challenges facing the State of California’s election system.

Visit the Voter Experience Index. This informative set of tools was developed to improve the voter experience. It is a collection of research, publications and “how-to” guides produced by members of Future of California Elections and partners.